“That was a good strategy there, First.”

Rulac shook his head ruefully as Second approached to minister to his wounds. “Don’t you think I pulled back at all. She’s become… formidable. Those first feints were amazing.”

“I didn’t think you did. She’s gotten very good.”

Rulac looked over at the retreating back of Took, and I shook my head at him. “You’re not who she needs to see right now. Let me.” Rulac nodded, and I quickly went to follow Took’s trail.

I worried over what to say, how to comfort her, and much more as I approached Took. I didn’t know how long it had been since I’d suffered a real defeat like this, one I’d entered confident and had left in such a complicated state. I finally got to Took, and stepped forward, closer to her. Illne stood close, silent, and nodded at me. I nodded back and stepped up to Took, hesitating over whether or not I should reach out a hand to her shoulder.

She didn’t move, but spoke. “I wanted to show everyone that I could do everything.” Her voice wasn’t broken, only tense with emotion.

“What do you mean?”

“I would shame him by striking him with claw, fang, tail and foot, showing that I was better than him in every way. Instead, I lost.” The words were flat, emotionless.

“You did best him in three.”

“The fourth would have been my life, and you know it. I was confident.” Took slowly shook her head before looking up at me. There was no frustration, rage, or humiliation there, only determination, and without conscious thought I saw Took throughout our lives. I had met her the day we had hatched, when I was a victor and she a loser.

Initially, she was clumsy, unaware, and had nothing going for her more than her slightly above-average size. We had struggled in hunts for Toothy Bullfrogs together, and had eked out a position in the spawnling hierarchy. We had lost friends together, gone to battles together, trusted each other… In no moment had I seen Took break. She felt emotion, but was loyal to the pack, the swarm, above all else. When Oncli was slain, when Treel was too, the abandonment of our home, nothing had shaken her.

Neither had this loss.

“I-i-it’s good to see you’re o-ok. Do you need-d-d healing?” Vefir suddenly was there, flanked by his brother Silf, Foire, Sybil, Brutus, Cazala, and Solia. Took shook her head.

“That was impressive, Huntmaster. You fought well.”

“Yeah, Took! I wish I knew how to use all my body like you do!”

“Impressive fight.”

The encouraging words of these old members of the pack washed over Took, and she seemed to gather herself. She nodded gratefully, then, “Alpha… no, Ashlani. I lost that fight.”

“But you won the Khuzaab.”

“I… know. But, it feels like I’ve…” Took’s words trailed off, and she looked up at me.

“You don’t need to know how you feel about this yet. The path to self-understanding is paved with the stones of pain, uncertainty, and hard lessons. Each step ranges from uncomfortable to agonizing, but still draws you ever closer to your final destination. We all tread that path.”

Took nodded slowly before standing tall once again, raising a hand in a wave of sorts, then walking away. She would need time, I knew, to figure out what exactly this result meant for her moving forward, and I wasn’t going to force the issue.

“So, a Khuzaab.” Joral’s voice startled me from my reverie.

“You follow us over?”

“Yeah! That was a great fight, I can’t wait to see more…” His eyes went sly. “Or participate in one.”

“Oh? Do you bear a grudge against one of the swarm? I’m glad it wasn’t settled in death before now. I can officiate if you’re willing to tell me why your disagreement needs to come to this.”

“I wish to face you in the Khuzaab.”

The friendly conversations from my inner circle surrounding me immediately died as all those present immediately directed confused and aggressive stares at Joral’s smirking face.

“You have quarrel with me? Out with it then.” My voice was cold as the less omnipresent khatif pride reared up in me.

“I want to see if I can qualify as the Swarm’s Alpha.” A less furious portion of me noted that this wasn’t like Joral always had been, looking up to me, but the rest of me didn’t care.

“So you wanted to try your luck when you wouldn’t end up as a corpse on the ground?”

Joral finally seemed to realize that he’d committed some mistake. “I just… I wanted to see how I compared to you–”

“Then let me make this abundantly clear: If you, or anyone else wishes to try their luck against me to usurp control of what I have created here, then that usurpation will only take place over a successful Razaab. If you think yourself ready to try it, I will leave your body to lend its strength to the rest of the swarm, dead on the ground.”

Joral stood, his jaw hanging open, confused, concerned. “I… I… I’m not your enemy.”

“Nor do I consider you one. But, if you issue that challenge to me, you will become one.”

A flash of something crossed Joral’s face as a flood of emotions washed over him. He soon looked down and began backing away, his pace ever quickening until he was nearly sprinting.

“Sybil, would you–”

“Yes, Alpha, I’ll find out what’s happening with him.”

I smiled. “You’re too good at this, you know.”

“I do. If you’ll excuse me.” Sybil winked before jogging away towards the main body of the swarm.

The swarm was still thronging in the distance, and I could imagine the conversations taking place about the Khuzaab, my ruling, everything. The pull of Nievtra still subtly pulled me east, and I watched the suns begin to take their places in the sky above the horizon. Another day’s march began.